Reverse Love Square
by TheCastorbean
Summary: "Man…what am I going to do?" the blonde model moaned, sitting up, "I'm already in love with Marinette…I was going to try confessing to her soon too…" "Not to mention that you basically just advised Ladybug not to give up on you and gave her false hope" Plagg added. Could this get anymore complicated?


' _You shouldn't be doing this'_ a voice in Ladybug's head insisted as she swung between Parisian skyscrapers and ran along rooftops, _'you should just go home and forget all about him…'_

Her throat tightened as she hooked her yoyo on a chimney and made a particularly daring leap, reeling her weapon in as she back flipped and landed on a familiar terrace, inaccessible by any other means. The balcony was large, with a simple curved railing surrounding the edges to keep people from falling two stories and becoming street pizza.

Ladybug stood there for a few moments, nervously eyeing the wall of glass. It was dark inside – there weren't any curtains so she had a birds-eye view into the room – and she couldn't see much, though there was a distinct lump in the bed. He'd said earlier that he had a photoshoot after school, she recalled. That, in addition to school and fencing practice in the morning, must have really drained him.

She worried her bottom lip between her teeth and took a small step back toward the railing, feeling even less sure than she had a few minutes ago. True, they'd spoken many times over the past few months, even shared a bit of camaraderie from their similar situations, but this…why should she wake him for something like this?

Courtesy and the need to talk warred within her. She was so conflicted that she didn't notice when the shape rose from the bed, swinging its legs over the side and padding to the glass door. They slid it open silently but she still caught the movement out of the corner of her eye. Turning, Ladybug faced a messy-haired Adrien Agreste. He was clothed in a pair of long PJ bottoms and a black t-shirt instead of his usual shorts and tank, a change probably influenced by the rapidly cooling weather. Ladybug herself had recently dug out her winter and autumn clothes for the same reason.

"Ladybug?" Adrien said, voice slurred and sleepy-sounding, "What are you- here come in." He opened the door wider and motioned her inside, which she did with only a moment's hesitation. Adrien closed it behind her before walking over to the cocoa maker in the corner – which he'd obtained and placed in his room shortly after their nightly chats had begun – and flipped it on, then headed toward the white sofa. She followed, as is their routine, and sat down a few feet away from him.

The room was silent, save the soft hum of the cocoa brewing.

"What's wrong?" Adrien asked.

She exhaled deeply before turning to face him. "I…sorry for waking you…" she began haltingly, one hand coming up to nervously fiddle with one of her pigtails.

"That's not a big deal. I couldn't sleep anyway" he answered immediately, "but seriously, what's wrong? You seem a little…distressed."

"Uh well…" God how does she even begin to explain? Just thinking about it made her chest ache more than it should. She's Ladybug after all, strong, confident, one of the heroes of Paris…

She felt that familiar burning behind her eyes a second too late and blinked desperately to hold them back. It was too late though, Adrien had already noticed and he scooted closer. His hand was on her shoulder, the comforting gesture of a friend, so full of understanding.

"Is it the guy you like?" he asked.

She nodded and cleared her throat, trying to fight back the tears. "It happened a few days ago…. it's stupid and I really shouldn't be so torn up about it but…." Her watery blue eyes met his, "…he likes someone already…I asked him if he'd ever gone on a date before, trying to break the ice before I asked him out you know? Somehow that lead to talking about crushes and he just seemed to…light up. The girl he was describing…using words like _beautiful_ and _talented_ …I just couldn't tell him. He's so obviously smitten with her…. that's okay though…it's not like I've liked him for that long anyway. It's only been three years right? But then earlier today we got stuck in a closet together when that Akuma went on a rampage and…I couldn't help myself…I kissed him!" She broke off with a muffled sob, the tears now running tracks down her cheeks.

"He went stiff as a board, then pushed me off…. god the look on his face…. then the police finally managed to get the debris away from the door. Once the Akuma was taken care of he ran off."

Adrien's hand went stiff on her shoulder and she blinked curiously, pausing in her futile attempts to wipe the liquid off her cheeks. Ladybug's vision was blurred with tears and that, in addition to the darkness, made it difficult to see his expression, but she could tell that his eyes were wide.

"…the guy you like is Chat Noir?"

Ladybug started, cheeks reddening as she went back over what she'd said in her mind. She almost groaned aloud when she realized what she'd let slip. In all their conversations the super heroine had been careful not to mention anything that specifically hinted at Chat Noir being her secret crush. It's not that she doesn't trust Adrien…it's just that it's embarrassing. Not to mention that her feelings for Chat…they aren't something that she can properly articulate, not unless you don't know who she's talking about.

To Paris, Chat is just a flirtatious feline, a Cheshire cat of sorts that is always in a constant state of play. They almost view him as the antithesis to Ladybug, commonly regarded as the more serious and confident of the superhero duo. But his public image didn't do him enough justice, in her opinion. He's so much more than that.

The genuine concern in those green kitty-eyes when she gets injured.

The way he cracks cheesy cat-themed puns, which lightens the mood no matter how dire the situation.

His flirtations, such as calling her 'My Lady' and making her blush (though he never realizes it).

Really he's just amazing, unlike anyone else she'd ever met before. It hadn't been long before she'd fallen. So completely and absolutely that she'd smiled dreamily for almost an hour after she'd first realized it. Tikki had been practically bouncing off the walls in excitement. Apparently it had been a while since a Ladybug had fallen for a Chat Noir. The red kwami was extremely encouraging and often pitched ideas for the subject. She'd been amazing after Chat had first confessed to having a crush, even more so after he'd pulled away from the kiss.

The cocoa maker dinged and Adrien hesitated a few long moments before dropping his gaze and heading over to pour them both a mug. As usual, he gave her the green cup with little cat faces all over it. She liked it because it reminded her of Chat. The green was the exact color of his eyes. Adrien settled down with the red spotted mug and stared at her expectantly, still waiting for an answer to his question.

Ladybug sniffed a few times and Adrien got up again to get the box of tissues from his bedside table. She took one gratefully when he returned and loudly blew her nose, completely unashamed of the unladylike behavior in front of her friend.

"I do like Chat…" she finally mumbled from behind the tissue, just loud enough for Adrien to hear.

"And you kissed him?"

Ladybug nodded, "I know it was stupid but I just don't know what came over me…"

"Maybe you just surprised him?" Adrien suggested, "I mean it's not every day that your superhero partner kisses you after all…"

"I did consider that but…he likes someone else Adrien and the look on his face…. god he must hate me now…"

"No he doesn't!" Adrien blurted, so abruptly that Ladybug's head snapped up, "I mean…I don't think he hates you" the blonde model continued. "You guys have been partners for three years after all, I doubt that something like this would make him hate you."

"You think so?"

Adrien's hand landed on her shoulder again. He was smiling reassuringly as he said "I know so."

Suddenly Ladybug was aware of how warm his hand was on her shoulder. It was big too, at least a size larger than her own. Strange how she'd never noticed that before. It was comforting though, the warmth seeping through her suit and trickling into her chest. The superheroine found herself smiling and wiping the last of the tears from the corners of her eyes.

"Thanks Adrien" she breathed, feeling infinitely better.

His hand squeezed her shoulder, "Anytime Ladybug."

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Ten minutes later Adrien watched as Ladybug took her leave, waving to him from the balcony before swinging off into the Parisian night. The blonde model waved back and continued smiling until he was completely certain that she was gone before walking back to his bed and collapsing face-first on top of the covers with an audible groan.

"Well that was unexpected" Plagg said sleepily, crawling out from under Adrien's pillow.

"I can't believe it…Ladybug has a crush on me? Chat Noir?" Adrien turned his head so that he was facing Plagg. The black kwami shrugged his small shoulders in response, "Romantic feelings between Ladybug and Chat Noir aren't exactly uncommon."

"Man…what am I going to do?" the blonde model moaned, sitting up, "I'm already in love with Marinette…I was going to try confessing to her soon too…"

"Not to mention that you basically just advised Ladybug not to give up on you and gave her false hope" Plagg added.

"What else could I do? She's my friend…and she was crying…"

That was probably what had gotten him the most. His Lady had always been calm and confident, maybe shy and a bit clumsy every now and then but never had he seen her break down like that. Before tonight he hadn't really considered it possible. Sure she showed uncharacteristic nervousness whenever she came to visit and the topic of their crushes came up but he hadn't realized that she felt that strongly about her crush. Felt that strongly about _him_.

Adrien groaned again and flopped onto his pillow, ignoring Plagg's indignant protest in favor of staring at his ceiling. He felt like such a jerk for not noticing and even more like a jerk for leading her on. Truthfully Adrien may have fallen for Ladybug, if it weren't for Marinette.

Ah, Marinette. He no longer tried to deny that he was a complete sap when it came to her. She had been in his class for the past four years and he'd been smitten after the first week. Being new to public school he hadn't been sure how to act. All the kids had practically grown up together in the school system and had cliques formed over a lifetime.

Sure, he had a friend in Chloe Bourgeois, his childhood playmate and one of his only acquaintances his age, but she was quick to ditch him in favor of gossiping with Sabrina (who even then had been a faithful sidekick). Alone, Adrien had awkwardly chosen a seat in the front, feeling extremely out of his element. At least until he'd felt a tap on his shoulder.

Turning, he was met with a pair of striking blue eyes and a warm smile. The air around her was as warm as her smile and he felt strangely comfortable as she greeted him and introduced herself. She showed him around that week and even introduced him to some of the others in class, including Nino, his longtime best friend.

She was open, always laughing, always smiling, and just so _natural_. Growing up in a sheltered household, forced to study under stoic tutors and rarely coming into contact with people his own age, coupled with his work in the modeling industry (where all the smiles were synthetic and sincerity was a joke) as well as his father's insistence that he attend every formal event possible to help the reputation of Agreste Industries, Adrien had rarely spoken to anyone so genuine and _warm_.

There were other things too, additions to the list of things he liked about her that he'd gathered over the years. Like three years ago when she'd wrestled the title of class president away from Chloe and displayed a certain assertive confidence nobody had known she had. Or when she won that gaming competition (he had also been pleasantly surprised to see that she likes gaming, something they have in common) and went on to represent the school.

He also liked the small things. Like the way her tongue sticks out of the corner of her mouth when she concentrates on her sketching. The scent of freshly baked bread and occasional splotches of flour that follow her wherever she goes. Her love of the color pink.

Really he just loves everything about her and has wanted to confess for the longest time.

Ladybug was graceful and elegant, with an adorable flair that occasionally makes her ridiculous. She is adorable and undeniably pretty. Certainly he'd like to get to know her, maybe hang out without the masks on for a change (though when he'd suggested it she'd gone pale before declining). But the feelings he has for her are nothing compared to what he has for his Princess.

Truly, Princesses are more lovely than Ladies.

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The next day Adrien entered the classroom right as the bell rang, having been forced to rush through a shower after fencing practice and barely making it as the teacher moved to close the door. She gave him a warning glare out of the corner of her eye, just as she did to anyone who showed up barely on time or late, before shutting the door while he shuffled to his seat.

Truthfully, Adrien was exhausted. He'd had a full schedule yesterday and been woken up for Ladybug's visit last night – it was Plagg's insistent prodding that had woken him. On top of that he'd had to get up early for fencing practice. Not even a full minute into the lesson a note landed on top of his notebook and Adrien discretely opened it.

' _Hey man you feeling okay?'_

The blonde model glanced at his best friend, who shot him a worried look out of the corner of his eye. Adrien scribbled down a reply and tossed it back when he saw that the teacher had turned her back.

' _I'm fine. Just tired.'_

' _Full schedule again?'_

' _Yeah…I've got the afternoon free though so I should be able to sleep.'_

' _Man, that's rough.'_

' _It's not too bad.'_

The conversation trailed off after that and Adrien was constantly prodded out of a half-doze by his best friend, which he was grateful for. They had developed the system a long time ago, Nino keeping Adrien awake whenever he was exhausted from a sudden influx of work. It usually only happened a month or two before the season change, but Gabriel Agreste had decided to release a new line early this year, which meant a lot more photoshoots and fittings than usual.

Class passed by quickly enough, it wasn't long before the bell was ringing. Mme. Brun wrote out the homework on the board before gathering her things and leaving the room, presumably to her next class. The room broke out into murmurs the moment she was gone.

Adrien closed his Language notebook and replaced it with the History notebook in his messenger bag, opening it to a clean page in preparation for the next lesson. "Adrien man, you sure you're alright?" Nino asked, as he watched his friend's almost robotic movements while also eyeing the bags under his eyes.

"Yeah don't worry" the blonde model said with a tired smile, "if I can just make it until after school then I'll be fine…"

"Are you feeling sick Adrien?"

His heart was suddenly in his throat as he turned to face the half-Asian that sat behind him. Normally he didn't have much of a problem talking to her, he just got a little tongue tied when she first addressed him. Today though, he was struck speechless. She had her hair down. Adrien had never seen Marinette with her hair down before. As long as he'd known her she'd always had it up in a pair of twin-tails. It looked good on her though, wisps of dark locks curling over her shoulders. If that weren't distracting enough her bangs had grown longer than usual, she'd mentioned the other day that she kept forgetting to get them trimmed, and she had to constantly brush them behind her ear.

"He's just tired" Nino answered for him, and Adrien made a mental note to thank his friend for covering for him later.

Marinette's brow creased as she frowned, "Have you been getting enough rest lately? Enough to eat?"

Adrien rubbed the back of his neck and smiled sheepishly, secretly elated that she cared so much about his wellbeing. But she was Marinette after all, always so kind. "Yeah…things have just been a little crazy lately with the new line coming out."

Marinette's eyes sparkled at the mention of the new clothing line, the frown melting into a light smile. It made him smile too. He knew how much she loved clothes and designs. "Well make sure not to overexert yourself too much, alright?" Marinette said.

Adrien nodded and promised that he wouldn't.

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' _Maybe I spoke too soon…'_ Chat Noir thought as he back flipped to avoid another electrified projectile.

"Stay still you stupid cat!" the Akumaized girl shouted, pulling another handful of kunai from her belt and chucking them at him. Apparently today's villain was some kind of RPG gamer, Chat didn't know the whole story but Ladybug had been shouting something about a manager at an internet café when he'd shown up. Maybe she'd gotten kicked out. Either way it didn't matter much now as he made daring leaps and twirls to avoid becoming Cat-Swiss-cheese.

"My what a sharp tongue you have madam!" Chat shouted, leaning casually against a wall with his usual confident smirk adorning his features, "And an electrifying personality to boot."

"I'll skewer you!" she raged, pulling the giant halberd from her back. It too was electrified, though the voltage was much greater on the halberd than the kunai she'd been throwing before.

' _Anytime now Ladybug…'_ Chat thought as the girl charged. She was rather adept with the weapon, he thought, and the cat-themed-hero was forced to dodge as she swung it wildly in every direction. It must have weighed a considerable amount but she didn't seem to have much trouble using it one handed.

Worse still, Chat was unable to block with his baton. He'd learned that the hard way with the kunai. His baton is made of metal and the leather of his gloves doesn't exactly hold up well against electricity. He'd gotten quite a jolt after blocking the first few times and didn't even want to think about what would happen if he tried to parry the halberd.

At that moment – when the blade had passed close enough to his shoulder to make his hair stand on end – something whizzed through the air and cut through the chain around the Akuma's neck. She howled in outrage as the pendant fell, momentarily forgetting her assault on Chat Noir.

"CHAT GET THE NECKLACE!"

It was his Lady's voice and he didn't hesitate. Chat Noir sprang forward, planting his foot in the center of the Akuma's chest. The force of the blow wasn't enough to hurt her but it was enough to startle her back a few steps and make her drop the halberd. It gave Chat enough room to snatch the necklace out of the air and turn to Ladybug, "Here you go My Lady!" he shouted, throwing her the jewelry.

She caught it and smiled as she smashed it on the ground. "Come out evil bug!" she cried, activating her yoyo and purifying the Akuma. "Bye bye pretty butterfly" she whispered as the now-white creature fluttered away.

Then she turned to him and jogged forward. A sudden and irrational feeling of panic rose in his chest. He almost felt like running. There was no way that he could handle talking to her right now. He knew what he had to do, what he had to say, and he wanted to put this conversation off for as long as possible.

"Chat I-" her miraculous beeped and he felt some of the tension leave his shoulders.

"Better run before your miraculous times out, Lady" he said with a wink, "hope you have a _purr_ fect day!"

With that he ran off, ducking behind a tree to change back once he was a decent distance away.

" _Purr_ fect day?" Plagg queried with a smug Cheshire grin on his face. Adrien glared at his kwami, but inwardly agreed that it hadn't been his best line, even as he told the cheese loving cat to shut up.

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The next day Adrien came to school much more refreshed. He'd gotten a full night's sleep and finished all the homework for the week (thank god for teacher websites and assignment calendars). So, with an extra skip in his step, he arrived to class a few minutes before the bell and slid into his seat beside Nino, taking a glance at Marinette as he passed.

She was involved in a conversation with Juleka and Rose, probably either talking about the new Agreste fashion line or her Class President duties. Adrien smiled at the rosy flush on her cheeks, which often came when she was engaged in conversation, and her sparkling white smile.

Nino elbowed him lightly in the side and he turned to see his friend waggling his eyebrows, glancing between him and Marinette suggestively. Adrien felt the heat rise to his face as he nudged his friend back, whispering for him to "knock it off!"

"You've got it so bad man, seriously why not just ask her out?" was Nino's reply.

"Because…she would never say yes."

Nino rolled his eyes, "Are you serious man? You're Adrien Agreste, a girl would have to be crazy not to like you. Besides you guys like a lot of the same things. Like videogames, and you both know a bunch about fashion. Did you know that she listens to Skillet?"

Adrien's eyebrows shot up at that. No, actually, he hadn't known that. But Skillet was one of his favorite bands and Nino knew it. "I heard her jamming to it one day at lunch" the bubble-lover said by way of explanation, "she was working on a sketch and started singing along without realizing it."

That made the blonde model smile. It just sounded so Marinette-like. He wondered what she sounded like when she sung, probably wonderful, he decided. The bell rang right as M. Aucoin walked in, disrupting Adrien's daydreaming. He was younger than Mme. Brun, who half the kids swore was over a hundred in part thanks to her wrinkled face, white hair, aging spectacles, and cranky demeanor. He was also much more laid back and always dressed in a casual, yet neat, way that endeared him to the students.

Uncombed brown hair with thick-rimmed glasses and a sleeveless knit sweater over a collared shirt paired with pressed work pants and shiny office shoes. A few of the girls in the back cooed as he arrived, some bold enough to shout out a greeting. M. Aucoin merely smiled and waved back before dumping his stuff at the table in front and pulling up a projection of today's lesson.

Adrien eagerly flipped open his notebook. Tuesdays and Thursdays were his favorite days of the week because they were B days, meaning that they got to study all his favorite subjects. The monotony of Language, History, and Economics on Mondays and Wednesdays was always broken up by Physics, Mathematics, and Biology. Fridays were also fine, the first half of the day spent with his class in Creative Arts while the second half he had special permission to practice Chinese with his personal tutor and perfect his piano with another instructor hired by his father.

Tuesdays and Thursdays were still the best by far though, even if he had a fitting and a shoot scheduled for this afternoon.

"Well everyone, I've got a bit of a surprise for you today" M. Aucoin said, flipping to the first slide of his presentation. There, in big, bold letters was a single word: **PROJECT**.

Half the class couldn't hold back a groan while the other half started eagerly chattering and forming potential groups just in case it turned out to be a group project.

"Alright everyone calm down" M. Aucoin called out, adding just enough authority to his voice to get them to obey, "yes, this is a group project. But I've already chosen your groups."

A few called out their disapproval but M. Aucoin ignored them as he pulled a sheet from his stack of papers and started to read:

"Kim, Nathanael, and Alix, you three are Group One.

Mylene, Max, and Juleka, you're Group Two.

Rose, Ivan, and Alya, you are Group Three.

Sabrina, Nino, and Lola, you're Group Four.

And finally, Adrien, Chloe, and Marinette will be Group Five. Now this project seems easy enough on the surface but it actually involves a lot of research and…"

Adrien had already tuned M. Aucoin out. He was too busy focusing on the fact that he was paired up with Marinette for a school project. That gave him an excuse to see her outside class and hang out! It's not like he hadn't done that before, mind, but with his busy schedule he found it difficult to hang out with his friends most of the time. Nino, being the amazing friend that he is, had managed to set up a few outings over the years. One particular movie 'not-date' with Alya and Marinette had been exceptionally wonderful. But it had never progressed past the occasional group outing.

"…now you can get into your groups and start discussing what you want to do with your projects. Remember that I left the topic broad for a reason. Try to have fun with it but make sure that it's also factually correct and engaging" M. Aucoin finished before sitting down at the front and pulling a science magazine from his pile of papers.

Everyone was immediately on their feet, moving across the room to get into their groups. Nino patted him on the shoulder and winked slyly before heading over to join Sabrina and Lola in discussion. A moment later he felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to see that Marinette had plopped down in the seat that Nino had vacated.

"So I guess that makes us partner's then" she said, "Physics isn't really my best subject so I'm going to be relying on you a lot. I'll try to pull my weight though!" she laughed.

"Uh…y-yeah" he stuttered, feeling strangely nervous, "don't worry I won't let you down!"

Her smile grew bigger, brighter, and his heart beat loudly in response. Maybe Nino was right…they do have a lot of similar interests and really what's the worst that she could say? (He immediately shoved down a thousand negative thoughts that attempted to rear their ugly heads to answer that question).

"So when would be a good time to meet, I mean do you- "

"Adrien!" Chloe gushed, appearing out of nowhere and taking ahold of his arm. Oh, that's right. There's a third member of their group. "It's so great that we're paired up together! Partners on a project, kind of like destiny don't you think?"

He really didn't think so, but decided not to voice that thought, smiling amicably in response. Adrien barely caught the flash of annoyance that ran across Marinette's face from the corner of his eye, it was gone a second later, replaced with her usual smile. Though this time it looked a bit forced.

"Alright well, we need to start by choosing a topic. I was thinking that we could do Einstein's General Theory of Relativity- "

Chloe yawned dramatically and leaned around Adrien so that she could look directly at Marinette, "Whatever, sounds fine to me. But you aren't really needed here Marinette, Adrien and I can handle the project all by ourselves."

"It's a group project Chloe, we're all supposed to work on it" the half-Asian shot back.

"Yeah well, with how much you weigh I doubt you could pull your weight on this assignment anyway" the Bourgeois heiress responded with a self-satisfied grin.

Adrien's eyes widened at the insult, feeling angry on Marinette's behalf and more than a little shocked, as he usually was whenever Chloe displayed such open hostility. It wasn't that he hadn't heard Chloe insult Marinette over the years, she had, sometimes in worse ways than this. But he still didn't like it and couldn't help but wonder where the happy little girl with the blonde braids that he'd known as a child had gone. He still had trouble recognizing that the girl from his childhood and this bratty Queen Bee were the same person.

Marinette appeared unfazed by the insult, looking at the Bourgeois heiress with an unimpressed stare. "So you're saying that you want to research the General Theory of Relativity? It isn't an easy topic to understand. The Theory of Relativity is simple enough but the General Theory adds gravity into the mix, basically motion, acceleration, and gravity as they relate to each other. I was thinking that we could also add a bit about Einstein himself, I read his biography over the summer for Language and it was interesting. Throwing in a few notes about his attempts to sort out quantum theory and create an absolute theory that covered – "

By this point Chloe's eyes had glazed over and a second later she blinked, "Okay, why can't we just do it on the physics of high heels or something?"

Marinette sighed and turned back to her open physics notebook, writing something at the top of the page. "Okay so are we in agreement that we should do the General Theory of Relativity?" she asked, looking to Adrien for confirmation.

The blonde model blinked, having been too engaged in her short description of Relativity to register much else, before nodding. "That sounds great to me."

Marinette smiled, "Alright then when should we meet? I'm free after school any time this week, we could work at my place."

"Ah-sorry, I've got shoots and a few extra lessons all week…" Adrien said, slightly deflated.

"That's alright, what about you Chloe?"

The blonde sniffed in response, finally letting go of Adrien's arm so that she could examine her nails, "I'm busy too."

"I see…well how about Saturday? You guys could come over around ten and we can spend the day working on it?" Marinette suggested.

Adrien mentally checked his schedule and was happy to see that he had Saturday free, his father had altered his schedule so that he could rest before the Sunday fashion show. It was a precaution that he'd adopted after his son had collapsed from fatigue (really he'd just been sick from falling in a snow drift while fighting an Akuma as Chat Noir, but there was no way he was going to tell his father that) after the last fashion show.

So the blonde model nodded with hardly any hesitation, "I'm free that day."

Marinette smiled brightly in response.

"Well I'm not" Chloe said, "I have a hair appointment that day, then a mani-peti after."

"You can come whenever it suits you Chloe" Marinette responded in a borderline hostile tone.

Chloe either didn't notice Marinette's obvious annoyance, or didn't care, as she simply stated that suited her just fine and continued flirting with Adrien throughout the rest of the class period. Normally the blonde model would have been uncomfortable with her advances but he was too happy right now to care. He would be going to Marinette's house to work on a project. Sure he'd been inside the bakery before but never the home that sat directly above it. He imagined what it would be like, a cozy little family home with the same warmth that Marinette and her parent's bakery seemed to constantly emit.

Adrien couldn't wait until Saturday.

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The rest of the week seemed to drag by slowly. There weren't any more Akuma attacks, for which Adrien was grateful, and Ladybug didn't come to visit again. They still went on their regular patrols but Chat Noir made a point of heading out on his own and ignoring video calls from their communications line. They only had short, clipped conversations that were strictly business. It all made him feel like a jerk but he wanted to put of the inevitable for as long as possible, preferably after Saturday had come and gone.

Too soon, yet not soon enough, Adrien was waking up ridiculously early on Saturday. He showered and took extra care in his choice of cologne and hair gel. The blonde model didn't usually bother with such things, or if he did he didn't put as much though into them, but he really wanted to look nice in front of Marinette.

Plagg jeered at him the whole time between bites of the camembert that Adrien had asked the morning staff to deliver to his room. Dutifully ignoring his annoying kwami, Adrien went through his entire closet, finally choosing a pair of well-fitted blue jeans with a black T-shirt sporting a neon green paw print in the center and his favorite blue scarf (which Marinette had gifted him for his sixteenth birthday). A checkered maroon button down went over the T-shirt, with a pair of black converse and a dark green bomber jacket added to complete the ensemble.

With a final glance at his reflection in the mirror Adrien scooped up his messenger bag and started toward the door, opening his jacket to allow Plagg entrance to his inner pocket as he passed him. He made it to the front hall when Natalie stopped him, looking as emotionless as usual as she asked him where he was going.

Channeling the obedient persona that he'd cultivated for years, Adrien stood straight and answered: "I have a group project due next week in my Physics class, today was the only day that we could get together to work on it."

"Your father specifically stated that you were to stay home today, can't you reschedule?" Natalie responded.

"The fashion show is tomorrow and there's a gathering Monday night to celebrate the new line, if I don't go today then there won't be any time."

At this Natalie hesitated. On the one hand Adrien did need to maintain his good grades, but on the other hand Mr. Agreste would blame her if he got too exhausted after the show…

Adrien could see the conflict on her face, as well as the moment when she came to a decision. "You must return by five O'clock at the latest. If you don't I'll personally come to collect you. Then you will go to bed early and get a full night's sleep."

The blonde model smiled in response, seeming to perk up with her answer. "Thank you, I'll be home by five."

Then he turned and fast walked out the doors, practically hopping into the back of the waiting limo. Fifteen minutes later they pulled up in front of the Dupain-Cheng bakery. Adrien thanked his driver and instructed him to return at four-thirty before shutting the car door and walking up to the establishment. It wasn't overly crowded but it did require a bit of effort to squeeze through the front doors.

There was a line leading up to the counter where Mrs. Dupain-Cheng was taking orders and shouting them to her husband, who was in the back and would always shout back to confirm the order. A quarter of the tables were full and Adrien was surprised to see a few of his classmates occupying some of the seats closer to the windows.

Rose, Juleka, Mylene, and Alya were at a four seated table on the far side of the bakery. They looked to be in deep conversation, occasionally pausing to take a bite of their pastries or sip from their drinks. Adrien stood awkwardly near the door, debating whether or not to walk over and start up a conversation. He was fifteen minutes early, after all, and didn't want to bother Marinette before the appointed time…

As if summoned by the mere thought of her, Marinette exited the kitchen carrying a tray of sweets. She stopped at several tables, keeping the platter expertly balanced even as she removed treats and placed them in front of people she passed. The half-Asian girl would always call out the name of the dish and smile at the customer as she passed. They would smile back and thank her, then she would move on to the next table.

Weaving in-between tables the way she was, without hardly looking in front of her, Adrien couldn't help but think that she was in her element. But that was how she always was. He could never remember seeing her lose that perfect poise and grace even for a moment.

The last table she visited was occupied by her friends and she set the chocolate cake down with a flourish in front of Rose. A smile split the normally shy girl's face as she snatched up a fork and took a bite, crystal blue eyes closing in bliss. Alya made a comment and the girls laughed while Rose smiled and nodded, evidently agreeing with whatever Alya had said.

It was Mylene that spotted him. She was at the best angle to see the door and noticed once the laugher had died down. Their eyes met and he had only that split second warning before she pointed him out to the rest of the girls. They all turned and he immediately felt self-conscious. Outside standard social etiquette he wasn't very good with people, least of all people his own age. Even with four years of practice under his belt he was incredibly shy when put on the spot.

' _Should I wave? Go over and greet them? I'm early though, maybe it would be better to go to the counter and- '_

Then Marinette turned and smiled. It was a megawatt smile that had his heart thumping like crazy behind his rib cage. She said a few words to her friends then made her way over, still carrying the tray under her arm. As she walked he was able to get a better look at her. She'd ditched her usual t-shirt, jacket, and capri combo and was currently modeling a pair of denim skinny jeans and a loose shirt. The shirt was sleeveless and bright pink, baggy enough to be comfortable but not loose enough to hide her curves. The stripes on the apron that she was wearing over the shirt also helped to accentuate her waistline. God, he'd never noticed how _curvy_ Marinette is.

She stopped in front of him, still smiling, "Hey, sorry but would you mind waiting a few minutes? I just need to get a few more things done in the kitchen. Then we can head up and start working." Then her smile morphed into an almost-smirk and the expression tickled a memory in the back of his mind, "I'll sneak you out a pastry in exchange for a few minutes."

How could he say no to that?

"It's no problem, I don't mind waiting."

"Great!" She said, leading him back to the table of four girls, who had been watching the exchange with obvious interest from afar. "Hang out with them for a bit and I'll be right back. Any preference in desert?"

He almost wanted to ask for something she made, anything just so long as it was crafted by the delicate hands of his Princess. But instead he'd simply said that he had no preference and she'd nodded before getting back to work. He watched her go until she disappeared into the kitchen, then turned his attention to the others.

They were all looking at him. Adrien shifted uncomfortably from the attention. Had he been that obvious? Mylene and Rose were kind enough to take note of his discomfort and return to their sweets, Alya and Juleka however….

The former was smiling like a nutcracker doll, which was extremely unnerving and only made him more uncomfortable. "So Adrien" Alya began, resting her head on one hand, "You're looking pretty good today."

"Uh…thanks" the blonde model replied, nervously rubbing the back of his neck.

"Are those clothes part of the new line?"

"Yeah…the jacket is at least, wanted to give any news reporters or photographers a taste of what's to come tomorrow. It's a good chance for a preview" Adrien answered, rattling off the same excuse he'd prepared for Natalie if she'd been vehemently opposed to him leaving the mansion. Now he was especially glad that he'd come up with it, that way he could explain away any notions that he'd come overdressed.

Alya hummed thoughtfully and took another sip of her iced tea, "I thought that you looked a little too overdressed for a homework session. Almost like you're trying to impress someone…"

Adrien's eyes widened at the implication and he felt heat rise to his face. The smirk on Alya's face told him that he'd reacted just as she'd wanted him to. Damn.

"Hey I'm back!" Marinette called, fast-walking over to the group.

Alya wiped the victorious smirk off her face and turned to greet her best friend. There was a short conversation, then Marinette was leading him toward the stairs and up to the second floor. He caught one last glance at the girls as he passed them. They were all smiling, though Alya's was the most wicked, and Adrien sent up a silent prayer that she wouldn't tell Marinette what she'd just learned.

The half-Asian led him past the counter and into the kitchen, briefly greeting her mother as she passed. Adrien had met both Marinette's parents in passing and greeted her mother with a polite, "Hello Mme. Dupain-Cheng" as he passed. The woman smiled and said hello back before continuing with her work.

"Papa! Adrien and I are heading up to work on our project!" Marinette called out to her father when they entered the kitchen. He was leaning over the oven wearing a stained white apron. Adrien hadn't seen M. or Mme. Dupain-Cheng in a while, so he forgave himself a little for forgetting how big and intimidating Marinette's father is.

The baker stood up straight and turned to face his daughter, giving her a warm smile behind his moustache. "Sure thing sweetie, thanks for your help in the bakery."

"Anytime Papa!" She said back before turning toward the staircase at her left.

"Here, I'll take your coat Adrien" she said, holding out a hand. He took it off and handed it to her without question. She held it for a few moments, examining the stitching at the wrists and feeling the material between her fingers. "Is this from the new line?" she questioned, running her fingers down the lining.

"Uh…yes" the blonde model answered haltingly. It was somehow very distracting to see the girl you like feeling up a jacket that you had just been wearing, even knowing that she's a fashion connoisseur and bound to be interested.

She hummed thoughtfully before hanging it carefully on the hook. "If everything in the new line is going to be like that then it'll sell out in no time!" She said with an excited laugh as she began to ascend the stairs. Adrien followed, trying not to seem overly eager as they reached the plain white door that led into Marinette's home.

She opened it, reveling a simple living room painted white and decorated with a television, a white sofa, a coffee table, matching chairs, and a book shelf. Light flowed in through the curtain-less windows, making the room extremely bright. It wasn't quite spotless, with the books on the shelves being organized through a system probably only identifiable by the one who placed them and the open video game cases spread out on the coffee table along with empty water glasses, but that gave it a lived-in feeling that was endearing.

Adrien instantly loved the place.

"Here, my room is up this way" Marinette said, gesturing to the second flight of stairs to the right of the door.

The blonde model's heart gave a single, hard thud against his rib cage. God, they were going to work on the project in her _room_? Really? He shouldn't have felt so surprised, but for some reason he imagined them working in the living room or somewhere equally as open. He had always wanted to see her room, with her creative personality he was willing to bet that it looked awesome, but never really dwelled on the thought too much due to his lack of belief that it would ever happen.

He followed her up and through the trap door. There was so much pink. Really that was the predominant color, if not the only color, present anywhere.

There was a pink chaise with a pink umbrella propped up over it and a full-length mirror directly behind. The opposite side of the room was mostly taken up by three pink fold-up tables pushed together to make a computer desk and work bench, the latter of which was covered in fabric, needles, and thread. Parallel to him was a thick support beam that just barely covered the green fold up screen separating her work space from a small vanity area. The vanity was, unsurprisingly, also pink, with a sink installed in the center. He assumed that it was there to complement the oddly protruding walls in the corner, which formed a square with a door cut in one side and, presumably, contained a toilet and shower to accompany the sink.

There was also another stair case separating the computer and the chaise. Upon glancing up he could just barely make out a loft. It was too dark to see much other than the very edge of a mattress.

"That leads to the roof" Marinette said, drawing Adrien's eyes from the loft to lock on her. She'd taken a seat on the pink computer chair, resting her arms on the head while she straddled it. "Maybe if we finish early I'll show you."

Adrien felt his cheeks color as he realized that he'd been caught staring and heaved himself through the trap door in an effort to disguise some of his embarrassment.

"Okay, so I already did a ton of research but to be honest no matter how much I read and re-read the articles I found on quantum theory they just didn't make sense so I was hoping that you'd be able to- "

"You're a Chat Noir fan?"

Marinette jolted, face coloring, but Adrien didn't notice. He was too busy staring at the two dozen pictures of himself in his superhero guise plastered to the wall above her computer. Some were blurred and difficult to make out and others were crisp and immaculate, like the ones of him from the statue unveiling ceremony.

"Uh…I…. well of course" she said.

The blonde model faced her and was surprised to see Marinette staring at her keyboard, twiddling her fingers nervously. The tips of her ears were red.

"Uh…sorry I didn't mean to interrupt your explanation or anything" he said quickly, deciding to apologize for his lack of manners rather than focus on the fact that she has at least a dozen pictures of Chat Noir and her face is red and she looks so nervous…

"N-no it's fine" she replied.

"I was just surprised…I mean you don't seem like a Chat fan…"

Marinette laughed, "Well I guess I'm not as fanatical as most."

Wasn't that the truth. He'd scrolled through a few of the comments on the Ladyblog and some of them had made him blush to the roots of his hair.

"I guess it's just…he's really cool is all" she said, a little dreamily, sparkling blue eyes taking on a glazed sheen as she spoke, "I met him during the dessinateur incident and he was really funny. Sure his pun's might be a bit cheesy but the way he says them…" she sighed.

Adrien, meanwhile, could only stand there and listen with a whirlwind of emotions that he couldn't identify circulating in his stomach. He could feel soft vibrating from his messenger bag – when Plagg had gotten from his jacket to his messenger bag he didn't know – and nudged it roughly with his elbow to shut the annoying kwami up.

No doubt the cat would bring this up later. The way that Marinette was talking about Chat Noir…it was like she was in love with him. If that was true, then the girl that he loves is in love with the _wrong him_. Adrien groaned inwardly at the thought.

' _Wouldn't that just be the cherry on top'_ he thought sarcastically, _'first Ladybug is in love with Chat Noir and now Marinette!? Could this get any more complicated?'_

It was at that point that Marinette seemed to realize what she'd been saying and hastily cleared her throat. "We'd better get started on this project, it's going to take all day for us to finish…."

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They started at around 10:12 AM.

Some intensive research on quantum theory, a full PowerPoint presentation containing comprehensive explanations of Einstein's Theory of Relativity, the General Theory of Relativity, and Quantum Theory, along with a brief biography on Einstein (mostly things relevant to his theories) and his unrealized dream of creating an Absolute Theory later and it was 4:09 PM.

There were papers scattered all over the place and an empty plate that had once held ham and cheese sandwiches and croissants that M. and Mme. Dupain-Cheng had brought up for lunch. Marinette put the finishing touches on the graphics for the presentation before hitting save for the final time and standing from the computer chair, crossing the room and dramatically flopping down on the chaise.

"We're finally done!" she cried into the pink print pillow.

Adrien couldn't help but smile at the adorable display and paused in the act of scooping up papers, having intended to stack them neatly on the desk. Instead he left them on the floor and walked over to kneel beside Marinette.

"You said that you'd show me the roof if we finished early."

"I said that _maybe_ I would show you the roof if we finished early. Besides we aren't done. We still have to write the ten-page essay to accompany the presentation."

"I already saved the presentation on my flash drive" Adrien said, dangling the cylindrical blue piece of technology in front of her, "I'll just write the paper and give you a copy on Monday. If you want to make any changes then call and we'll talk about them."

"But you have that fashion show tomorrow…"

"I'll write it when the show is over" Adrien said with a shrug.

"But that's so much work for just you to do!"

Adrien smiled, "Don't worry, Physics is my favorite subject. It'll be a cinch."

She grumbled something that sounded suspiciously like 'smarty pants' before peeking one eye out from the pillow, "Oh, alright! Fine I'll show you the roof."

He tried, and likely failed if the look she's giving him is any indication, to hide his eagerness as she stood and led him up to the loft. Adrien was unsurprised to see an overstuffed bed with pink sheets and a pink coverlet, and tried not to disturb the immaculately made bed as he followed Marinette through the trap door and onto the roof.

A cool breeze hit him the moment he stuck his head out, making goosebumps appear on his arms. It was a simple terrace, decorated with several potted plants and a fold-up lawn chair (unsurprisingly pink in color).

"Doesn't it feel great out here!" Marinette laughed, cheeks pinker than normal from the cool air.

Climbing up to stand next to her at the railing he had to agree with her. The view wasn't too extravagant, just a four-way intersection and walls of Parisian buildings, but somehow it was better than the view from his window. He glanced at Marinette from the corner of his eye. Her hair fluttered in the breeze, light from the lowering sun making her eyes shine a glorious oceanic color and bringing out the flecks of gray speckling her irises. Oh yes, a much better view indeed.

He noticed her shiver and took off his over shirt without a second thought, draping it over her shoulders.

"Adrien?" she questioned, grabbing the edges of the shirt reflexively as she felt it cover her.

"You're cold, it's not much but it should help a little."

She shook her head and took it off, attempting to push it back into his hands, "But then you'll be cold."

Adrien just laughed, "Don't worry, I run warm," he placed a hand on her forearm. Just as he'd expected it felt cool to the touch, "See, I'm fine."

She stared at his hand for a few more moments before nodding silently and draping the shirt back over her shoulders. He noticed that she made a point of using her left arm to do it, allowing his hand to remain where it was. Adrien's heart fluttered and, feeling bold, he slid his hand lightly down her arm and grasped her hand.

Marinette gasped and turned to him, big blue eyes looking startled and curious. He almost pulled his hand away but chose not to at the last second. Her hand wasn't tense in his, she was relaxed and he swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat as he realized that she was okaywith this, or at the very least she tolerated it. Did she see it as him just being friendly or…?

He suddenly had the wild urge to confess, to pour his heart out to her as he'd been intending to do for so long. It was the perfect time. They were well and truly alone and they were holding hands and she looked so, so pretty in the sunlight…

He wet his lips and grasped onto that feeling, the warmth in his chest. Adrien held on with both hands as he opened his mouth and willed the three words to fall from his lips. They had just begun to do just that when the loud call of: "MARINETTE! ADRIEN'S RIDE IS HERE!" came from down below.

Just like that her hand was gone and the words died on his lips. She turned back toward the trap door and shouted back, saying that they were coming down. Then she turned and smiled at him just like she always did and he smiled back, going for his most convincing model-grin because really he was a bit dishearten a more than a little disappointed that the moment had been shattered.

He knew that she could tell his smile was fake. The whole time as he gathered his things, went down the stairs, and said goodbye to M. and Mme. Dupain-Cheng, once again thanking them for the lunch. He felt her eyes on him the whole time.

Before he went outside to meet his driver, who at this point was waiting impatiently outside the door and tapping his watch dramatically whenever Adrien glanced at him, the blonde model gave Marinette his number.

Three steps toward the door a sudden urge came over him. Adrien has no idea where it came from but all of a sudden he was spinning around to face Marinette again.

"Would you like to come to the fashion show tomorrow?" he asked.

Her blue eyes grew impossibly wide and for a few seconds she was silent, then she squealed. It was loud and possibly the most excited sound he'd ever heard her make. The next thing he knew she had her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly while bouncing in place. He was too stunned to do more than stand there and stare blankly at her shoulder. All too soon she was pulling back, looking less excited and more concerned.

"Are you sure? Won't it be an inconvenience for you?"

' _When it comes to you nothing is an inconvenience'_ he thought. But he didn't say that. Instead he said: "Of course not! I'm sure my father will agree. You've entered plenty of his design contests and won them all. I think that he'll agree that it'd be great experience for you."

Then she was smiling and hugging him again, whispering a quiet thanks in his ear. The warmth in his chest was back again and they pulled away before saying farewell for a final time. Then he walked out, still staring at the little family of three in their warm, little bakery as they waved goodbye. He kept his eyes on the bakery until his driver turned a corner and it was out of sight.

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Adrien got home before five, as promised, and immediately asked to see his father. Surprisingly he was admitted, if only to be lightly scolded for disobeying orders without consulting his father directly first. Adrien apologized, then proceeded to plead his case for putting Marinette's name on the guest register. At first Gabriel hadn't been very inclined to bend to his son's whim, at least not until he mentioned her full name and M. Agreste realized that Adrien was speaking of the young lady that had won a good many of his fashion competitions over the years.

"Ah, that's right, the hat maker" M. Agreste had said, recalling the pigeon hat design with the most clarity, "she was one of your classmates, yes?"

"Still is, Sir" Adrien responded, "she's my physics partner and is very interested in the new line- "

Gabriel held up his hand, indicating for his son to stop speaking. "She can come, but she is your responsibility Adrien. Make sure that she doesn't make an embarrassment of herself."

The blonde model bristled inwardly at his father's harsh words but nodded, ever the complacent son. Gabriel regarded him for a few moments with cool blue eyes before ordering him to bed. Adrien did as he was told and headed to his room.

Plagg flew out of his bag the moment that the door was shut, the palm-sized wedge of camembert that Adrien always made a point of keeping with him clutched between the cat's tiny paws.

"So…" the kwami said as Adrien strode past him and flopped down on his bed, "that was an eventful day."

"No kidding" the blonde model replied, the words coming out as an almost-groan.

Plagg chuckled, "Well it isn't every day that you find out the girl you love is in love with your alter ego."

"She never said, specifically, that she was in love with Chat Noir…"

The cat snorted, "Did you hear her talking? She's totally smitten. This is why I prefer cheese to romance." He held up the camembert for emphasis before taking a huge bite out of one side.

Adrien didn't even have the energy to retort, instead heaving himself off his bed and walking over to his computer. "Weren't you supposed to be resting for tomorrow?" Plagg asked, floating beside the keyboard as the screen booted up.

"I told Marinette that I would write the paper and I won't have time on Monday because of the gala. I don't know how late the show will run tomorrow or if there will be some kind of after-event so I need to get this done tonight" he said, plugging in the flash drive with the intent to use the information on the presentation to help with the paper. He would just look up any other references he needed.

Five pages into the essay his phone buzzed with an unknown number. Curious, Adrien flipped it open.

' _Hey it's Marinette. Sorry for texting you so late but I forgot to ask when the event starts and whether it was casual or formal or formal-casual. Sorry if I woke you!'_

Adrien smiled, he could already tell that tomorrow was going to be a good day.

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"I can't believe that I'm actually back stage at such a high-end fashion show" Marinette breathed, eyes wide as she practically drank in the sight of everything from the make-up artists to the clothing hanging on the racks.

She had, after much deliberation, decided to wear something of her own design. It was a pleated skirt that flared at the waist and stopped four inches above the knee. Surprisingly, it was red, and she'd chosen to combine it with a lace collared button down. The top was white and tucked into the skirt. A black belt, ankle boots, and cross-body bag completed the look.

Adrien had been struck dumb the moment he'd first seen her in it. Gabriel had given her a once over before they'd gone inside and seemed almost impressed as he pronounced her choice of attire 'adequate.' Even the driver had given a favorable reaction, after appearing stoic for most of the ride he'd caught Adrien's eye as they were exiting and given him a thumbs up.

The blonde model hadn't quite known what to do about that.

"Oh! Look at that!" she gushed, grabbing his sleeve and turning him to watch one of the other models walk by.

She was tall and Asian looking with her dark hair cut in a bob. The burgundy dress that she was wearing was meant to make her look thinner, with a puffy skirt and slightly puffy shoulders that smooth down to hug her wrists. It had a high collar and looked stunning on her, almost like a reimagining of a medieval style.

"Oh and that one!" she said, pointing him to another model.

This one was wearing a short black skirt with crisscrossing diagonal stripes of white and a low cut top of the same colors, just introverted. Adrien thought it was a little odd for a winter line but the color scheme was all wrong for summer or spring so he guessed that it was either a creation by an amateur designer or the model had yet to put on the whole outfit.

"Oh and that- "

"M. Agreste."

They both turned to face Natalie, who stood primly before them with a straight face and her hands folded neatly in front of her. "I am afraid that the show is about to begin. I will escort your guest to her seat."

Adrien deflated, wishing that he'd had more time to show her around back stage. But Marinette didn't seem disappointed, rather she smiled at him and patted his shoulder. "Knock them dead out there" she said, giving him a sly wink before turning and following Natalie to the designated audience area.

The next two hours were a blur of activity. He was forced to sit still while they piled make up on his face, forced to bend in all kinds of directions so that the tailor could make sure that everything was absolutely perfect on his first outfit. Once that was done, the man proceeded to check all the other outfits – thirteen in total – which he was set to model at the beginning of the second half of the show. By hour three Adrien is nearly suffocating from boredom.

The whole time Marinette was all he thought about. Was she having a good time out there? Was she gushing about every outfit? He wished that he was there to hear it. Adrien had discovered that he actually loved hearing her talk about clothes and designs. She was so passionate about it that it was hard not to get sucked in.

Sighing deeply, the blonde model waited his turn. In comparison to his tailor, who was a ball of nerves, Adrien was calm. He should probably feel more nervous considering that Marinette will be watching but for some reason that doesn't scare him.

' _That's right'_ Adrien thinks, ' _Marinette will be watching.'_

One of the stage hands motions him forward and he puts on his best model smile, just a twist of the lips really. This is an important event, not a shoot. Introducing the latest Agreste line to the fashion community is all about the clothes, the models still matter but not as much as they do in magazines and advertisements, when it's necessary to make the product look as good as possible for the public.

With that in mind Adrien struts forward into the light. There's an announcer speaking in monotone as he walks, careful to keep his stride steady and confident. The blonde model can't make out the announcer's words, all that he can really hear is the dull murmur of his voice and the near-silent click of multiple cameras going off around him.

He makes it to the end of the walk and turns in a full circle, showing off the sleek design of the jacket and the perfect color coordination between the jacket, shirt, and scarf. Adrien is aware that Marinette is in the crowd but he's still not nervous and as he turns and makes his way back toward the entrance of the cat walk, he wonders why. It hits him like lightning three steps later.

He wants to make this one of the best days of her life. She loves fashion and dreams of being a designer. That's part of the reason he invited her. But another part of him wants to show off, maybe give her a glance at his good side while also showing her one of the best performances she's ever seen. Yes, that was it. Something of a blend of his own selfish reasons and a righteous desire to see her happy, to see her smiling and laughing.

He was nearly at the half-way point on the walk when an ungodly wail seemed to shake the rafters. A murmur passed through the audience and Adrien had to make a conscious effort not to turn around, forcing his feet to keep moving forward, at least until he heard a nasal voice call out: "I am Aiguille Et Du Fil! I am the greatest clothing maker of all time and I'm here to prove it!"

There was a sudden scream at the edge of the crowd, then a commotion that quickly turned into a full-on panic. People rushed to the door, tripping over chairs and each other as the screaming got louder and the Akuma picked people off at the edges of the crowd.

From the corner of his eye, Adrien took note of Marinette and Natalie. He hadn't been able to look at the crowd directly during his walk but through some stroke of luck he managed to spot them as his father's assistant rushed Marinette to the door, far away from the action. Reassured that they were safe if only for the time being, Adrien ran up the cat walk, trying to get to his bag, to Plagg, then find a quiet place to transform. He barely made it five steps before the Akuma landed in front of him. It was dressed in a patchwork of every color imaginable with high-heeled boots and long blonde curls pulled back with a patchwork bandana. In one hand it held a thimble, in the other it held a six-foot sewing needle attached to cord-like string that wrapped around her waist.

"You boy! What is that you're wearing!" she shouted, gesturing to his attire.

He didn't answer, putting his hands up in a placating gesture and backing off a few steps.

"That looks like an original Agreste design" she said, hissing his surname as if it was toxic on her tongue.

Before he could blink she was coming right at him. He didn't expect it and had no time to dodge as the needle point went straight for his head – "LOOK OUT!" The next second Adrien had been tackled to the ground, the needle narrowly missing his forehead. It took him another moment to realize that Ladybug was standing over him, already on her feet and parrying Aiguille Et Du Fil's blows with her yoyo.

"Get out of here!" she shouted over her shoulder.

He hesitated only a second before he did so, sliding off the cat walk and making a break for back stage and Plagg. Adrien had almost made it to his designated dressing room when Ladybug suddenly came flying through the curtains and three racks of clothes, slamming into the wall feet from the door and cutting him off from it.

She leapt to her feet and grabbed for her yoyo before noticing him. "I told you to get out! What are you still doing-" she was cut off as Aiguille Et Du Fil launched herself through the hole Ladybug had torn in the curtain. The Akumatized woman hesitated when she noticed him, glancing between he and Ladybug for a few moments before the familiar butterfly outlined her face and she grinned.

Ladybug caught on before he did and by the time he did it was already too late. She uncoiled the string at her waist and held it one hand, holding the needle like a javelin with the other. Aiguille Et Du Fil threw it, Ladybug screamed, and Adrien could only focus on the sharp point heading straight toward him-

There was a thud and a muffled scream. It took a moment for his vision to clear enough to realize that the red in his eyes wasn't some kind of injury-induced haze or the flash before unconsciousness. It was Ladybug's suit. His arms came up around her as he came to realize that she was leaning over him with his head pressed into her shoulder. Something warm and sticky coated his forearm. She was breathing in rough, ragged gasps by his ear.

Then she was gone, heaving herself to her feet and calling out "Luck Charm!" A red rubber cockroach with black spots appeared in Ladybug's hand. If circumstances were normal Adrien might've laughed. Ladybug allowed the exasperation to show on her face for a moment before she started glancing around. The whole time the patchwork Akumaized villain was trying to yank her weapon free. Dimly, Adrien realized that the needle was lodged in the wall just shy of his waist and he reached for it when it started to come free, ignoring the stickiness that coated the needle. He couldn't and wouldn't process that right now. All that he could do was keep the Akuma disarmed long enough for his Lady to do her thing.

Without warning Ladybug threw the rubber cockroach. The woman reared back with an ear-piercing shriek and attempted to run, only to be thwarted by the end of the string, which was still tied around her waist. Adrien gritted his teeth and forced his grip to tighten, the Akuma's momentum dragging him a foot forward as she was yanked back. She fell to the ground and Ladybug strode up to her, notably favoring her left leg as she walked up to the squirming woman and yanked the bandana from her head, tearing it with her bare hands.

As expected, the Akuma flew out and Ladybug purified it, then repaired all the resulting damage with her Miraculous Cure.

Adrien had finally managed to scramble to his feet but didn't approach as the Cure spread, righting all the upturned chairs and repairing the curtains. He was completely and totally focused on Ladybug. She continued to stare at the woman until she returned to normal then turned to stare at Adrien. It was shadowy back stage, with only the lights from some of the make-up mirrors to provide visibility.

She smiled shyly at him then winced as she shifted onto her right side. His eyes were drawn there unbidden and he almost gasped when he saw it, there was a huge gash in her side. He could tell by how dark that part of her outfit was and how it seemed to glisten in the dim lighting. She'd gotten that saving him. It was because of him that she was hurt.

He started forward, concerned, intent on getting her much-needed medical attention. But she wasn't having any of that. She just smiled one more time before taking out her yoyo. He picked up the pace, full on sprinting to cover the distance between them, but he wasn't fast enough. She was gone before he made it to her, leaving a faint trickle of blood on the floor where she'd been standing.

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The show was canceled after that. Well actually, the correct term was rescheduled, but Adrien didn't much care what they called it so long as he could get out of there as quickly as possible. Apparently some of the models claimed trauma and insisted that they wouldn't perform. Adrien had considered adding himself to that list but half the models were already on it, more than enough to make them shut it down.

Marinette was pale as a ghost on the ride home and clutched the lapels of her black pea coat like a life line. He couldn't blame her. Really he felt bad that it had turned out so horribly but he was too concerned for his partner to offer Marinette any reassurances. Everything inside of him was demanding that he transform and go looking for her, make sure that she was alright. Which is why he made his goodbye with Marinette as brief as possible and tapped his foot impatiently the entire ride home.

The moment he was out of the car he went straight to his room, putting a do not disturb sign on his door (usually reserved for when he was doing homework, in which case dinner would simply be placed on a tray table beside his door) and heading out.

He searched for hours but came up with nothing. It was almost three in the morning when he finally returned and collapsed on his sofa, detransforming and allowing Plagg to flop down beside him.

"We have to find her" Adrien breathed.

"I'll need more camembert then" the black kwami murmured.

The blonde model glanced at Plagg, noting the wilting of his cat ears and the slight trembling of his body. They'd been at it for hours, combing nearly half of Paris in search of her. Plagg had already run out of power a total of three times. Luckily he'd been able to fill up on the cheese that Adrien had thought to bring with them. Really, they'd only returned because they'd run out of cheese.

As much as it pained him he couldn't ask Plagg for anymore tonight. They would have to try again tomorrow. Wordlessly, Adrien scooped Plagg up and carried him over to the bed, tucking him into his favorite spot in the corner, between the wall and the pillow. Big green cat eyes looked up at him questioningly.

"You need to rest. We'll try again tomorrow."

Plagg didn't argue and was out a second later.

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Half an hour later she came. Adrien had been alternating between trying to distract himself by playing video games and pacing back and forth across the room when she landed on his terrace. He'd spotted the distinct ladybug pattern immediately and vaulted over his sofa, flinging open the door and wrapping his arms around her before she had a chance to greet him.

Adrien couldn't help himself, he hugged her, holding her lithe body close to his and stroking her dark locks. She's here, she's okay, she didn't bleed out in an alley somewhere, or collapse on her way home, she's alright, she's okay. Tears prickled the corners of his eyes and he forced them back.

"Adrien?" she asked, tentatively looping her arms around his waist.

He breathed a shaky breath before pulling back to look at her. She was paler than usual and without thinking he lifted a hand to run the back of his palm against her cheek. Wordlessly, he grasped her hand and brought her into his room, refusing to release her hand even when he stopped to close the door. Adrien led her to the sofa and sat her down, then sat beside her.

For a long moment they just sat there, staring at each other, then Adrien's hand tightened around hers and he asked: "Why did you do that?"

She blinked in surprise, "Do what?"

"Why did you jump in front of me like that?" he asked harshly, suddenly and irrationally angry with her.

"She was aiming for you- "

"So what?" Adrien growled and Ladybug's eyebrows rose, "I don't care if she was aiming for me that was no reason for you to do something so stupid and reckless!"

Her eyes narrowed, "You were the one who didn't run when I told you to, instead you came back to the dressing rooms- "

"That was my mistake" he countered, knowing that it was necessary that he try to get to Plagg and transform but also knowing that he should have been faster, shouldn't have frozen when he saw that needle coming at him…he squeezed her hand tighter, reminding himself that she's here, she's okay, she's alive.

"You shouldn't get hurt over my mistakes…" he whispered, head dipping so that his messy blonde locks fell in front of his eyes. He'd been too worried to shower and wash the gel out when he got home so it was especially messy tonight. Now that he actually thought about it he must look like a complete wreck.

Cool glove-covered fingers touched his chin and tilted it up so that he could look her in the eyes. He didn't try to resist. Ladybug's clear blue orbs shined in the light of the moon filtering through his window, full of understanding and compassion and…something else that he couldn't really identify. "It wasn't your fault" she spoke softly, "I chose to save you. I knew what I was doing and it was worth it, after all" she smiled, it was just a simple close-lipped smile but it made a fierce ache rise up in his chest, "you are one of the most important people in my life."

The ache abruptly turned into a blazing heat that ignited fireworks in his chest and the next thing he knew he'd closed the distance between them and sealed her lips with his own. He didn't know why he was doing this nor did he know exactly what had prompted him to but he didn't feel like stopping. She didn't hesitate, returning the kiss with a ferocity that made his toes curl as her arms came up to loop around his neck. Ladybug scooted closer until she was kneeling between his legs and he had to angle his neck upward to make it more comfortable.

Puffs of warm air periodically brushed against his nose as she inhaled and exhaled roughly from her own, clearly not wanting to break the kiss for something as ridiculous as oxygen. She shifted closer, trying to be closer, and he was happy to oblige her. Truly he'd begun to consider the possibility of an unknown civilian girl lying unconscious in a ditch somewhere, blood gushing from her side and pooling around her, a worried kwami fluttering around her body.

Associating that thought with his Lady, the sweet, shy girl that Adrien Agreste had come to befriend over the past few months, and the confident, sometimes clumsy, heroine that acts as Chat Noir's partner, had made him feel sick. He reassured himself now with the feeling of her warmth pressed against him and the scent of her chap stick in his nose and her hands as they trailed up his neck and delved into his hair.

She's alright, she's okay, she's _alive_.

In the midst of his relief guilt tore into him. He'd ignored her as Chat for almost a week and led her on for just as long. Now here he was as Adrien Agreste, kissing her. Suddenly he felt like absolute scum for all that he'd put her through, first by refusing to reject her properly out of fear, then by giving her false hope, then by letting her jump in front of an attack for him, and now by kissing her.

His arms wrapped around her waist as she pressed herself closer still and he tightens his hold, wanting to feel her close, to know that she's alright, she's okay, she's alive – a muffled groan of pain travels between their lips and she pulls away, wincing. Adrien loosens his arms and she lets out a breath of relief.

"Still…hurts…?" Adrien asks between pants, trying to regain his breath while also being concerned about her well-being.

"Not…really…" she answers. He stares at her silently for a few moments before standing and scooping her up bridal style. Ladybug squeaks and clings to him as he carefully lowers her back on the sofa, this time so that she's lying down. "W-what are you- "

"Lay down" He says simply, "I want to take a look at your injury."

Ladybug turned crimson below her mask, "I've already taken care of it Adrien," she insisted.

"So you didn't go to a doctor?" he asked. She stayed silent, which was confirmation enough. Tentatively he reached out to touch her side, Ladybug stiffened but didn't try to pull away as he traced her hip, moving up a bit more until he felt a bump. It wasn't overly large, just enough to be noticeable if you're close enough. "Bandaging?" he asked, absentmindedly tracing the outline of the shape with his index finger.

She nodded mutely. "Did you clean it first? Use some antiseptic?"

Ladybug gave him a look, one that she reserved for people when they were patronizing her, "I have treated injuries before, you know. Yes, I used antiseptic. It's perfectly fine."

"Are you sure? I can call someone right now and- "

"-tell them that I randomly decided to drop by in the middle of the night to play a rousing game of checkers when you noticed that I'm injured and decided that I need medical attention?" she finished with an almost smug smile.

"This isn't a joke" he replied.

"I'm not joking" she said, seriously, "I can take care of myself. I've been doing it for a long time."

' _But never like this'_ he wanted to say, _'you've only ever had to deal with a few cuts and bruises because the Akuma so far have been easy and Chat Noir was always there to act as bait, to do the dangerous jobs.'_

But this time he hadn't been there. He was her partner, the one who was always supposed to have her back and yet he'd let her get hurt. His head dropped again and her hand came up to ruffle his bangs.

It was at that moment that he realized that he didn't want her to take care of herself, he wanted to be the one to do that for her.

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Weeks passed.

Marinette and Adrien gave their presentation the following Tuesday and received a high A while Chloe just stood there and painted her nails. M. Aucoin, knowing full well that Chloe hadn't done any work and being unable to penalize her because of her special status as the Mayor's daughter, secretly gave Marinette and Adrien twenty bonus points to be used on whatever assignment they wished.

Ladybug continued to visit at night. They chatted and sipped hot chocolate like normal but never talked about the kiss. It was a raw subject for both of them and neither was willing to bring it up.

Adrien had also stopped avoiding Ladybug as Chat Noir. After her near-miss he'd called her the following night using their devices and asked her how she was doing, explaining that he'd heard though an obscure news source that she'd been injured. As expected, she brushed it off and asked if they could meet the following day. He'd agreed, dreading the encounter but knowing that it was inevitable. If she brought up the kiss that they'd shared during that Akuma attack all those months ago then he would fess up and tell her that he was in love with someone else, if not then he wouldn't touch on the subject.

Much to his surprise she did bring up the kiss but not in the way he'd thought she would. Instead of using it as a starting point to declare her love for him she simply apologized and said that it was a spur of the moment thing, telling him to forget about it. He was puzzled but agreed and soon they were back to being partner's again, with him jokingly flirting with her and her brushing off his advances in the same fashion.

Another surprise came a few days later when Marinette pulled him aside after class and asked if she could have a minute. He, of course, had said sure. The classroom was vacant and the half-Asian hesitantly closed the door after checking to make sure that nobody was coming down the halls. He'd raised an eyebrow and jokingly stated that she was acting "Skittish as a cat."

Any attempts to lighten the mood died when he saw her face though. She was usually smiling but right now she looked so nervous as she twiddled her thumbs together, just like when he'd asked her about the many pictures of Chat Noir that adorned the wall above her computer. For an irrational moment he had the crazy notion that she was going to ask him for advice on how to get a date with Chat Noir or, even worse, she could know that he's Chat Noir and be gearing up to tell him that she knows.

With a cold sweat breaking out on the back of his neck Adrien forced himself to remain still as Marinette turned to face him, looking as flustered and nervous as he's ever seen her. Then, to his complete and utter shock, she mumbled the words "Would you like to go on a date with me?"

To say that he had been floored was an understatement. Nothing could have shocked him quite as much as his crush, the girl that he'd been in love with and admired from afar for four years, asking him out on a date. So after her briefly mistaking his stone cold shock for rejection, a round of incoherent stuttering, and a rough confession of his own, he had a date with the girl of his dreams.

One day yielded another, then another, and another, until a year had passed. He never told her about his dual identity, as much as he loved her and wanted to tell her everything he just never found the right time and eventually stopped trying. Until one day…

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"What do you think of this one?" Marinette asked, holding her sketch book up so that he could see it from where his head was resting on her lap. Cracking open an eye, Adrien appraised the drawing. It was a knee-high chiffon dress with a sweetheart neckline. Sheer fabric with silver stars lining the edges covered the bust and wrapped around the shoulders.

"I like it" he responded before closing his eyes and wrapping his arms around her waist.

She huffed and went back to sketching, mumbling something to the effect of: "You say that every time."

"Only because it's true Mari, everything that you make is beautiful and unique" he responded.

That got him a brush of the lips against his hairline. He signed contently and cuddled closer to her stomach, rubbing his face against it almost like a cat. She giggled and his eyes shot open. Upon glancing up at her he discovered that her gaze was fixed firmly on her work but another experimental jab in her side set her off giggling again.

Grinning widely, Adrien began to attack her sides and she was soon on the floor, writhing beneath him as he tickled her.

"A-A-Adrien!" she cried, trying to swat his hands away with hers, "S-s-stop-p it-t!"

"Don't think so. I didn't know that you were ticklish Mari" he replied, sliding his fingers under the hem of her top. She squealed and tried to forcibly shove his hands away. He just grabbed her wrists and held them off to one side while he continued his torture, it was just too fun. Eventually her shirt rode up enough for him to see her waist and his hand froze and inch from her skin. Marinette panted, grateful that she could finally take in some air, chest heaving as she struggled to catch her breath.

"Ladybug?"

Marinette froze and looked up at Adrien, following his gaze to her exposed stomach, just above her hip. She instantly realized what he was looking at, a roughly healed scar that curved around her waist in a jagged line. The stitches had been amateurish so the wound hadn't healed properly and it'd scarred, not terribly, but scarred none the less.

Wordlessly Adrien reached out with a single digit and ran it along the length of the old wound, making his girlfriend shiver. He paused then, finally meeting her eyes. She looked extremely nervous, maybe even a bit panicked, but didn't try to wrench her hands away. It looked like she was waiting for him to make the first move.

So he did, releasing her wrists and leaning down to press his lips to hers. She hesitated, surprised, but quickly melted into him. Nimble hands ran up the base of his skull and delved into his hair while his hands settled on her hips, his thumb stroking the scar. Marinette was confused as Adrien continued to kiss her. She would have thought that he would be shocked, maybe angry, never had she imagined that he would react by kissing her.

It was tender, a continuous peck that melted into a languid French kiss. He didn't let it get heated, deliberately keeping the kiss slow, trying to convey the intense wave of affection that he feels for her in this moment. He didn't know why he'd never noticed before. Now it all seemed so clear. He hadn't been positive when he'd said her name after discovering the scar, some part of his mind still refused to believe in the possibility, but her reaction and the look on her face said it all.

He hummed into her lips, a deep thrum that was remarkably similar to a purr.

It was her. It had always been her. The two most important girls in his life. Only they could make him question his affections for the other, make him feel warm and gooey inside one minute or hot as smoldering brimstone the next. They held him like putty in their dainty hands, _she_ held him like putty in her hands. Finally breaking the kiss, he rested his forehead against hers and kept his eyes closed, listening to her light breathing and inhaling the scent of freshly baked bread and vanilla.

"My Lady…" he breathed, "My Princess…"

He heard Marinette gasp and opened his eyes to see her wide blue orbs staring back at him.

"Chat…?" she whispered, hesitantly.

He allowed a huge Cheshire grin to take over his face. She smacked him roughly on the shoulder then pulled him down for another kiss. He would probably get hell for this later but he didn't mind. He loved this girl and she loved him back, that's all that matters.

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 **Ugh…you know I'm half impressed with myself for writing this and half disgusted. It's so sweet that I think I just gave myself a cavity. Though maybe that's because I was imagining a bit more gore when I wrote this….**

 **Anyway.**

 **So I'm going to start by saying that I had one hell of a time with setting description. Had to key up episodes to specific scenes so that I could study the room layout and track down photos on Wiki. Honestly I'm a little pissed off because the room I spent the most time analyzing was Adrien's and they were there what, two times? You pretty much got that he has huge ass windows and a white sofa. As well as a hot chocolate maker (I actually added that little detail in after studying the layout of his room for where to put it…then I was vague about where it actually was in the room…whatever).**

 **Marinette's room and the bakery were also tough and I added in a few details of my own that are very much not there in the series, such as the tables and chairs. Honestly I mostly improvised with the bakery (or rather I wrote the story before I fully analyzed the bakery and didn't feel like changing it, no one care's though it's better this way in my opinion). The only thing I changed in Marinette's room was the reference to a bathroom. I mean the vanity is certainly there but none of the pictures I could find showed anything beyond that. Because of the sink I'm going to assume that there is a bathroom there. If there isn't then that's just poor construction work.**

 **The next thing that I would like to address is school. Those of you that were paying attention probably noticed that I implied only one classroom for students and that the teachers have to switch rooms, which is the opposite of what happens in the series. I did this mainly because I didn't check first (whoops) and had a mini-heart attack when I realized it. Then I finally checked and breathed a sigh of relief because they were in French secondary school then. I mentioned that it's been three or four years since then, assuming that Adrien and Marinette have only had their Miraculous for a short time in the series.**

 **Now, I read Adrien's bio and it says that he is between the ages of 13 and 15. The latter is the cutoff age for French Secondary school (as in they move up a level when they turn 16, going to post-secondary school). No matter which way you look at this it's been four years since Adrien first met Marinette and I'm going to assume that he met her his first year in school and that in the series he has been at that school for at least a year. Whether he was 13 or 15 when he met her the fact does not change that, after four years, they would be out of secondary school and in post-secondary school.**

 **Also, yes they are between the ages of 17 – 20 by the time this fic has ended. Personally I don't care, pick whichever age suits your interpretation of the story. That makes it a little more fun and keeps me from having to go back and edit out a bunch of crap (it's 1:27 in the freaking morning).**

 **I just kind of made up the school system here because I really didn't want to go hunting around for what exactly French post-secondary school is like. Honestly, I took some of my experience with American public schools and threw it in a cauldron with some of my experience in Charter schools, then tossed in a teaspoon of the Japanese school system and set it on to boil. Came out nicely, if I do say so myself.**

 **Next order of business: the characters. Now I'm going to go ahead and say right now that these characters are kind of OOC. Really I don't have a good grasp on Adrien and Marinette yet, so it's difficult for me to write about them. I'm also extremely busy and don't have time to write an overly long fic so I feel that this is a bit lackluster. Mostly this fic is a way to get my foot in the door of this fandom because it has an amazing romance going for it, as well as an amazing plot and overall concept.**

 **As for why it's mostly from Adrien's perspective. Well…like I said I don't really have a good grasp of their character's yet but I am most definitely drawn to them, or more specifically Adrien. There's just something about how he's portrayed that makes me want to write about him. I want to analyze his character and put him in different situations just to see how he would react. Honestly I think I made him a little too mushy here, but he's a total romantic in the series so this sugary sweetness can be overlooked, right?**

 **Well I'd like to know how I did. This is just an experimental one shot so I'd like some feedback before I try writing anything else. So comments would be appreciated. Mostly want to know if the characters seemed believable.**

 **THECASTORBEAN**

 **IS GOING TO FREAKING BED.**


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